Uniting against corruption<\/p>\n
Weeks have now elapsed since two of this nation's biggest
\nMuslim organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah,
\nformally proclaimed their resolve to join forces to battle the
\nscourge of corruption that has been plaguing this country for so
\nmany decades.<\/p>\n
As has been widely reported in the media, a Memorandum of
\nUnderstanding (MOU) to that effect was signed in Jakarta on Oct.
\n15 by the chairman of NU, Hasyim Muzadi, Muhammadiyah chairman M.
\nSyafii Maarif, and executive director of non-governmental
\norganization Kemitraan (Partnership), H.S. Dillon, which has
\npledged to support the movement with funding and expertise.<\/p>\n
The significance of this did not go unnoticed as the two
\norganizations have rarely collaborated in matters of policy,
\nexcept in certain adverse conditions when both felt compelled to
\nput things right.<\/p>\n
For the two organizations to unite and to take the initiative
\nin the fight against corruption means that in the eyes of
\nNahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah corruption in this country has
\nalready grown to such alarming proportions that it threatens the
\nfuture of the nation as a whole.<\/p>\n
To start with, the two organizations intend to gradually
\nawaken a nationwide anger against corruptors and the practice of
\ncorruption, so that people would think twice before they engage
\nin such practices. In a country where the great majority of
\npeople are Muslim and the clergy enjoys considerable respect,
\ncertainly the banding together of these two respected
\norganizations can lend considerable power to the anticorruption
\ndrive.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, proof that they are not alone is seen from the
\nimmediate support their move has drawn from other concerned
\norganizations, including the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and
\nIndustry (Kadin), the Roman Catholic Church in Jakarta and,
\npredictably, Indonesian Corruption Watch.<\/p>\n
Since the signing of the memorandum on Oct. 15, many
\nIndonesians have hailed the resolve of the two organization to
\ncombat corruption. Since neither the executive nor the
\nlegislature and the judiciary have so far shown their political
\nwill to end corruption, who better could the public trust to do
\nthe job than the two Muslim organizations which together claim a
\nfollowing of no less than 70 million?<\/p>\n
For the average Indonesian, whose life depends on the services
\nof a corruption-riddled bureaucracy, there can be no doubt that
\ncorruption at present pervades almost every stratum of the
\nadministration, from the top echelons of government down to the
\ndistrict and subdistrict levels and to the neighborhood
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
Although Indonesians may feel ashamed at having their country
\nlisted at or near the bottom of the list of countries regarded as
\n\"clean,\" no one is surprised. Resourceful regional authorities
\nhave found ways to profit from the government's decentralization
\npolicy that was meant precisely to curb corruption by improving
\ncontrol.<\/p>\n
In other words, although many may resent it, Indonesians are
\nfinding it increasingly difficult to deny the humiliating reality
\nthat corruption has become a part of their culture. Clearly, the
\ninitiative that has been taken by NU and Muhammadiyah is bringing
\nthe renewed hope that something may finally be done about this
\nnational affliction.<\/p>\n
Yet, the declaration of war against corruption which they
\nissued last month has met with considerable skepticism almost the
\nmoment it became public knowledge. After all, for as long as can
\nbe remembered, government anticorruption drives have always
\nstalled, if not due to the reluctance of the authorities to act,
\nthen due to technicalities such as the absence of a clear-cut
\ndefinition of the word corruption.<\/p>\n
In the light of such a background, the most effective solution
\nmay be to encourage all concerned citizens to offer their ideas
\nfreely, which could then be sifted to find those that are
\nworkable. It would certainly help for the public to see that
\nsomething is at last being done to curb corruption, if not to
\nentirely eliminate it.<\/p>\n
In any case, the NU-Muhammadiyah coalition offers this nation
\na God-sent momentum for finally getting the anticorruption drive
\nrolling. If we fail to use this opportunity, heaven knows what
\nwill become of Indonesia in the next few decades.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/uniting-against-corruption-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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